Khaberni - American singer Sabrina Carpenter formally apologized for referring to "ululation" as "a weird thing" during her performance at the 2026 Coachella festival.
The incident began at her concert held on Friday evening, when Sabrina Carpenter paused her music performance to sarcastically ask a member of the audience if what he was doing was some sort of mountain yodeling, to which the reply was that it was a celebratory cultural practice (ululation), yet the singer continued her sarcastic remarks calling the situation "weird" and comparable to the atmosphere of the noisy "Burning Man" festival.
This opinion sparked a wave of criticism on social media, as many considered her comments insensitive and indicative of ignorance of other cultures, in addition to accusations of racism, especially after she stated that she did not like the way or the sound.
For her part, Carpenter posted a clarification on her account on the platform "X", confirming that her reaction was purely out of "confusion" and unintended mockery, admitting that she could not hear the sound clearly from her position on stage.
The singer wrote that she has now learned what "ululation" is as a form of cultural expression and expressed her welcome to all forms of cheering in her upcoming concerts.
The post saw divided opinions among followers; while some accepted her apology as a positive step towards learning, others thought her initial response was arrogant and did not reflect respect for cultural diversity at a global festival, and a third group questioned the timing of the apology, considering it an attempt to contain the crisis coinciding with new artistic activity.
"Ululation" is an established vocal tradition in Arabic and North African cultures, used on happy occasions like weddings and celebrations.
This apology comes amidst major successes achieved by the singer as the first star to open the festival's shows this year alongside prominent global names, according to "hollywoodreporter".
